BUENOS AIRES, Dec 29 (SW) - Mario Kempes, the former Argentina and Valencia forward, has agreed to take over as coach of the national team of Panama.

Kempes, 51, will take over a side who finished at the bottom of the table in the final round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying, although they did take the United States to a penalty shootout before losing in the final of the 2005 Gold Cup under José Hernández.

Kempes, who has also previously coached in Albania, Indonesia, Bolivia and Venezuela, told Argentine radio on Thursday that terms had been agreed to but that no contract had been signed.

While playing for Argentina, Kempes was the leading scorer of the 1978 World Cup which was won and hosted by the South Americans.